Scholarship | Definition of Scholarship by Scholarshipfellow

Definition of Scholarship

Scholarship:A funding-in-aid to the student by Government, College/University or Organization is called Scholarship.

Synonyms of Scholarship

The synonyms of Scholarship are Erudition, financial aid, knowledge, literacy, learning, and learnedness

Antonyms of Scholarship

The antonyms of Scholarship are illiterateness, self-funded education, illiteracy, and ignorance

Scholarship Definition and its types discussed in details with all relevant authentic references.

What does the word Scholarship mean?

How are the international scholarships being awarded?

How is excellence in the scholarship judged?

What is excellence in professional accomplishments?

Scholarship Definition:

A scholarship is a type of financial aid awarded to students seeking to further their education. They can be awarded on a different basis but most commonly on the basis of academic merit or need for financial aid to cover tuition fees etc. Scholarship money is not repaid to the organization awarding it.

Scholarship VS Grant

The terms scholarship and grant, though often used interchangeably do not have the same meaning. Scholarshipsoften have a financial need component but there are other criteria. Academic scholarships use Grade Point Average to select who the award should go to whereas Athletic scholarships depend on athletic performance, and Merit scholarships include performance in specific school areas as well as extracurricular activities. Sports Scholarshipsare offered based on the sports performance of a student. On the other hand, grants are based solely based on the candidate’s financial need.

Types of Scholarships

Then there are also career-specific scholarships awarded to students pursuing a specific field of study. These concern areas in high-need such as education and nursing.

College-specific scholarships are offered by the college itself to highly qualified individuals. They are based on both academic merit and personal achievements. Awardees of such a scholarship may be required to work in a rural or remote area for some time or they will be asked to repay the financial support received.

Brand scholarships are sponsored by brands trying to get more exposure and these type of opportunities are discussed in this scholarship definition post.

Creative contest scholarships are scholarships awarded on the basis of a creative submission. Entries should be about a creative or innovative idea.

Scholarship Types Definition

The best place to start is your home region. Scholarships are typically awarded by institutions and organizations so chances are that the ones offered by your home region will not have as much competition as national scholarships.

The next place to ask is your school’s guidance counselor. They can be a very reliable source of information about available local scholarships for any high school student.

Checking local non-profits and foundations is also an excellent idea as many of them have founded scholarships for prospective students.

Religious organizations are also known for offering stipends or even full scholarships. They encourage the study of theology.

Chambers of commerce give grants to talented students in the community, to encourage them to pursue a career in business.

Volunteer organizations award scholarships or grants whose background or field overlaps the field of the organization.

Old schools and established universities have funds to finance the studies of talented students. The older and more prestigious the school, the fiercer the competition for the scholarship.

Scholarships for specific professions

Society makes people have certain expectations from health care professionals, professors, academics etc. They must demonstrate leadership capabilities and pursue ways to learn and grow even further.

For example, universities expect their faculty members to pursue scholarship opportunities. Climbing higher up the academic ladder requires not only regular promotion and tenure but also demonstrating leadership whilst teaching, researching and doing community activities. Because they have such a role, society expects of faculty members to contribute towards change.

In this respect, a scholarship can be defined as the application of systematic approaches towards acquiring knowledge via intellectual inquiries. It includes dissemination of this knowledge in publications, presentations, and other applicable ways as well as the application of that knowledge in society.

There are both traditional and non-traditional ways for judging excellence in scholarship.

For example, presentations must demonstrate:

Critical thinking and coherent ideas

The Proof of originality of that particular scholarship opportunity

Proof of impact scholarship could generate in society

Non-traditional ways may include:

Excellence via professional practice

The innovation scope, Initiative part, and leadership

Proof of positive impact with external agencies

Scholarly mentor activities among the students and colleagues

Excellence through leadership roles in different organizations along with proof of scholarly contribution

Impact of participation in review boards, committees, and other leadership positions

Contribution on a local, regional and national level and written acknowledgment of any such contribution

Colleagues mentoring and student’s help

Positive feedback on scholarly contributions

Judging excellence in community activities

Demonstrated through proof of the positive impact of the work with different institutions, voluntary organizations, industries, and other professionals.

Can be demonstrated via

Holding a leadership position

Building partnerships in a consultative or collaborative capacity

Participation in the making of policy decisions etc.

The next scholarship we will discuss is the Scholarship of engagement. The late Ernest Boyer defines the scholarship of engagement as “connecting the resources of the university to the most pressing social and civic problems, to children, schools, teachers….”.

Proposal of the four-dimensional scholarship award declared by an educational national leader named Boyer: discovery, integration, application, and teaching. The scholarship of engagement was added to the list later on.

The scholarship of integration refers to the search for new knowledge

The scholarship of integration refers to networking across disciplines and thus the advancement of knowledge

The scholarship of application refers to the application of this knowledge to social problems and testing new theories

The scholarship of teaching refers to the transformations and extension of knowledge

The scholarship of engagement connects all of the above to the solving of pressing social and civic issues.

The report of the Commission on Community-Engaged Scholarship in the Health Professions defines engagement between the community, scholarship and community-engaged scholarship as follows:

Community engagement factor: “The application of institutional resources to address and solve challenges facing communities through collaboration with these communities.”

Community-engaged scholarship Programs for students:“Scholarship that involves the faculty member in a mutually beneficial partnership with the community.

As you can see, there are many different types of scholarships and ways to find them. Though the requirements for specific scholarships may vary, they are generally awarded on a financial need or merit basis. On the other hand, scholarships for health care professionals ask for excellence in professional accomplishments etc.

We hope this article was helpful in explaining scholarships and scholarship types for students, academics and health care professionals.

Muhammad Yousaf is mentoring new students to win scholarships for a long time. He realized the fact that it is essential to create a platform where students can find authentic opportunities to apply for and ask questions regarding any relevant matters.